The financial entanglements of Dr. Casey Means—President Donald Trump’s pick to be U.S. surgeon general—is raising eyebrows. Fordham Law Professor Olivier Sylvain, who was previously a senior advisor to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan, was quoted in an ABC News article, commenting on the disclosure requirements rarely enforced by the FTC.
President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next U.S. surgeon general has repeatedly said the nation’s medical, health and food systems are corrupted by special interests and people out to make a profit at the expense of Americans’ health.
Yet as Dr. Casey Means has criticized scientists, medical schools and regulators for taking money from the food and pharmaceutical industries, she has promoted dozens of health and wellness products — including specialty basil seed supplements, a blood testing service and a prepared meal delivery service — in ways that put money in her own pocket.
A review by The Associated Press found Means, who has carved out a niche in the wellness industry, set up deals with an array of businesses.
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While the disclosure requirements are rarely enforced by the FTC, Means should have been informing her readers of any connections regardless of whether she was violating any laws, said Olivier Sylvain, a Fordham Law School professor who was previously a senior adviser to the FTC chair.
“What you want in a surgeon general, presumably, is someone who you trust to talk about tobacco, about social media, about caffeinated alcoholic beverages, things that present problems in public health,” Sylvain said, adding, “Should there be any doubt about claims you make about products?”
Read “Trump’s surgeon general pick criticizes others’ conflicts” on ABC News.
